Gymnastics Coaching.com

Frank Bare, former gymnast, administrator and artist, died Friday in Warner Springs, Calif., where he had been living with his wife, Linda. He was 80. …

Dwight Normile posted a touching tribute on IG – Frank Bare, U.S. Gymnastics Legend, Passes Away

We’ll be reminded of Frank’s legacy in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Dear Friends,

For the past several weeks I have been dealing with a health issue that arose rather suddenly during the holidays.

In mid-January I had surgery to remove a baseball-sized “germ cell malignancy” that my physician discovered during a routine exam. Surgery was successful and I have recovered with little break in my normal routine.

While there is no sign of cancer and the tumor was completely removed, the suggested treatment for my specific issue is three cycles of preventative chemotherapy. This treatment provides the best chance to eliminate the need to deal with this issue again, and I have decided to begin chemotherapy March 7th.

I am working hard to prepare my body, mind and soul for this challenge and remain thankful for such a positive prognosis. I am grateful to the wonderful physicians and nurses at St. Vincent’s HealthCare, North Florida OB/GYN and Southeast Gynecologic Oncology Associates. They have helped me feel comfortable every step of the way and provided the best of care. There is no substitute for their kindness and compassion.

As an advocate for women’s health and wellness, I feel it is important for me to let others know what I am going through and how early detection has saved my life. I urge all women to continue to get their annual exam. Make your health a priority. Do not delay, do not reschedule. Early detection saves lives.

Many wonderful people have already shared their stories with me and have given me the strength to face these next few months with courage, dignity and a sense of humor. Your continued thoughts and prayers are important to me. While I may be a bit slower (and even have a new hairstyle), I look forward to traveling to my brother’s wedding in Oklahoma this June.

With the amazing support, incredible hard work and true dedication of the Shannon Miller Lifestyle team, we plan to move full steam ahead with all of our initiatives and programs, including the SML Radio Show, Children’s Fun Run & Women’s 5K, SM Walk-Fit Program and the SM Foundation Running Clubs. God willing, I plan to participate in all upcoming events and obligations. If there is one thing I know from my gymnastics career, it’s that I don’t enjoy sitting on the sidelines.

This is certainly the greatest obstacle I have ever encountered. I am grateful for the love and support of my husband John, son Rocco, my family and friends, and the many of you who encourage me every day. I am up for the challenge and confident about the outcome.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

Shannon

link

Updates will be available at shannonmillerlifestyle.com

The English National Championships will take place … February 25th – 27th in Fenton Manor, Stoke on Trent. Details and links on Full Twist.

Scottish Championships return this year to Bells Sports Centre in Perth. Details and links on I-Gym.

Amy is one of the most under rated gymnasts in the World.

Steven Legendre – Floor Exercise – 2011 Winter Cup Challenge Day 1. Score: 15.500

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Steve does some of the most difficult and impressive tumbling int the world. But his non-tumbling ‘exercises’ remind me of a 9yr-old beginner, still embarrassed to be out there.

No style.

Dennis Desormier has some suggestions for the FIG Men’s Technical Committee on how to improve the rules:

I agree wholeheartedly that FX has become ridiculous. Yet, even with 5 and 6 passes in a routine, many gymnasts never perform even a single double salto, instead performing combination after combination of twisting saltos and roll-out skills. Is the solution really to change from 10 skills to 8 skills? I suspect this will just cut just one combination pass, which won’t be the huge improvement we need. We won’t see too many additional big tricks, nor will we see more non-acro skills. To improve FX, 2 or more of the following changes needs to be made together:

1) Limit to 8 skills.

2) Make one of the 8 or 10 counting elements a composition element — 0.1 for each skill used strictly for aesthetic purposes, not difficulty, up to 0.7 (a “G”)

3) Have a deduction of 0.1 for “lack of fluidity or creativity throughout routine between tumbling passes”. (I think that 0.1 would be high enough incentive for most gymnasts to make the effort, yet small enough to avoid this being used to sway scores).

4) Break the non-acro into two groups: static non-acro (balance and strength skills) and dynamic non-acro. This will give every routine a pause as well as a jump, russian, flare, or other “dance” skill. (There are ways to deal with the extra group, but that is for another discussion.)

5) Make lack of a double salto a composition deduction of 0.3 or 0.5.

6) Count the hardest double salto twice to (a) encourage a big trick and (b) effectively cut down the number of elements from 10 to 9.

7) Raise the value of many of the double saltos, particularly double layouts and the twisting variations. (USAG Junior rules already do this to great effect.) These skills are both harder to land upright and very hard to connect. They merit an extra tenth to accommodate the execution deductions gymnasts are avoiding by not doing these skills.

8) Count the dismount twice to (a) encourage E dismounts and (b) cut down the number of elements from 10 to 9 (or 9 to 8 if used in conjunction with idea #6.)

So… Which combination of these ideas would be best? why? Any other ideas?

Routine in training.

Click PLAY or watch it on Gymnastike.

http://www.gymnastike.org/embed/ODc0NDY4NjEz

Watch more video of University of Michigan 2011 on gymnastike.org

Superb Tkachev. Interesting composition.

Kylee is ranked #1 in the NCAA all-around.

Gymnastike:

… Denver is a young team led by junior all arounders Brianna Springer and Louise Mercer. The team has continued to move up the rankings this season and now sit at #12 nationally. This workout was filmed on January 7th, just before their first meet of the season. …

Click PLAY or watch Workout Wednesday on Gymnastike.

http://www.gymnastike.org/embed/Nzk3NDY4MDc2

Watch more video of Workout Wednesday, Season 5 on gymnastike.org

To check out what their actual practice facility looks like, click here.

For a team like this to qualify to Championships as a team, they need improve the small details. Amplitude of leaps and jumps, for example.

I know I’m preaching to the choir here.

Too often what makes it on Gymnastics Coaching is some issue: ethics, injury, injustice.

But the fact is that I feel sorry for those kids who never did gymnastics & trampoline.

Gymnasts are the most fit athletes, overall.

But even more important, in my opinion, are the psychological benefits.

Gymnastics is so challenging, … that the rest of life seems easy, in comparison.

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.js

What about coaches?

… Look at yourself. Take some time to consider your actions and the behaviors you model for the children in your life. When others look for the good in youth sports will they find you? …

Mark Folger – FINDING THE GOOD IN YOUTH SPORTS

And … WHAT’S IMPORTANT IN YOUTH SPORTS? – Part 2

On my death bed I’ll be well pleased to have spent a lifetime in youth sport. It’s the best education, on balance.

Ireland is one of the PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Spain), EU economies faltering and indebted.

So I take this as good news.

Ciaran Gallagher, CEO for Irish Gymnastics:

In the most difficult economic climate of our times this can only be viewed as an endorsement of all the good work and accelerated development Irish Gymnastics ….

The increase of approx €55,000, along with internal investment, is dedicated towards developing the Events, Public Relations (PR) and Marketing programme …

That comes via Full Twist.

Only 8 out of 57 sports got a raise. The rest were cut.

It’s possible.

It’s likely the Bruins will qualify as a team to Championships.

It’s possible they will HIT and make the Super 6.

It’s improbable, but not impossible, that with a near perfect meet, with Sam Pezek in the line-up, that they could finish 1st at Championships.

Miss Val would be talking Dynasty.

Aunt Joyce:

This has not been an easy season for the UCLA Bruins. While the Bruins were overscored at their last home meet, they displayed a stronger performance than they have. For once, they looked like a Super Six team. …

Bruins Rounding Into Form

That’s an honest, detailed assessment of the team right now. And a prescription on what the Bruins need to do to repeat as National Champions.

I’ve still not seen her new winning routine from Russian Championships. Difficulty 16.7 or 16.8.

But here’s some pretty solid speculation from Between The Olympics:

… she is competing a piked stalder shaposhnikova (apparently she wants a second Komova). She connected it to a pak salto, then performed the piked stalder shaposhnikova 1/2.

The score 16.0 (6.8/9.2) was flashed on the screen. That is probably the score before the bonus. I am curious to see what else she has done to get up to 6.8 in difficulty. …

Komova’s Russian Championships Bars

That’s based on a glimpse of her training on a Russian TV news report you can watch on Viktoria Komova Online.